Chapter: 187
The Outsider began to gaze into the Goddess. Its sight could peer beyond the reach of humans, even into the realm of ‘concepts’.
‘…?’
What this exalted vision finally landed on was a woman dressed in training clothes, snuggled up in a warm blanket and munching on snacks while giggling. In her hand was a flat electronic device.
Crunch, crunch.
While he mindlessly listened to the ASMR-like sound of potato chips being crushed, a lightbulb suddenly went off in his head.
‘What am I doing right now?’
It was undeniably an unexpected scene, but it wasn’t shocking enough to freeze him in place.
After all, his stature was too exalted to be jolted by each and every incident.
Yet there he was, forced to lower his own status and act like a mere human.
It was like a common human seeing a dog chewing on a treat and thinking, “I’m envious! If I had that kind of snack, I’d bury it and hide it…” only to snap back to reality and find themselves running around on all fours.
It was an attack so terrifying that it teetered into the realms of shame and fear.
With a mental barrier firmly in place, the Outsider’s instinct kicked in, rising sharply with heightened wariness instead of succumbing to shame or fear.
‘How on earth can a being of this caliber descend so easily?’
Recalling the question that had flitted across his mind just moments ago, he forcefully began to tear through the dimensions to pull more of his true power into this space. The dimension’s walls ripped apart like a thick pudding sliced with sharp chopsticks.
Just as he pushed a fragment of his existence into the torn dimension, attempting to connect with his true self—
“Alright! Let’s start off strong and have fun!”
““Happy!!””
‘…?!’
Suddenly, he found himself seated in the brightly lit guest area of a broadcasting set, so bright it hurt his eyes.
“What the—… Huh?”
He was startled by a voice that popped out unexpectedly and looked down at himself. He saw a shirt that was a mix of black and purple, adorned with a bunch of jangling belts and harnesses.
What he wore, however, wasn’t the important part.
‘What on earth is happening?’
The fact that he’d gained a physical body capable of accepting his status without any cost, as well as the rapidly altered surroundings, drove his wariness to new heights. As he squinted to take in the situation, the host announced—
“Now, let me introduce today’s guest!”
Bam!
The area went dark in an instant, and a spotlight rained down upon him.
“No one expected that the illness would persist until the age of 39! The man who couldn’t escape his Chuunibyou! Destiny of fate! Darkness of dark! Let’s welcome the Demon King Teacher, who became infamous for that line!”
““Woooo!””
Applause erupted alongside the incomprehensible words.
‘There’s no need to become a clown on a stage crafted by someone else.’
Without hesitation, the Outsider attempted to unleash his power and turn the surroundings into chaos. Just as he was about to channel the immense power he possessed, something began to draw his strength away.
“Ugh…! What is this?!”
The white bandages wrapped around his right arm greedily consumed the Outsider’s power. Flabbergasted by the bandages even devouring the unused energy, the Outsider grabbed hold of his arm just as the MC chimed in with admiration.
“Ooh! So this is the famous right arm of Bong! In! Incredible! I’ve never seen it in person—it’s very impressive!”
In that moment, the Outsider found himself stuck in a deep Chuunibyou state. Enraged, he yelled out reflexively.
“How dare a mere human…!”
“Oooh! You can really tell he’s got 24 years of experience just from his presence! Now, let’s introduce the next guest!”
The audience was treated to a spectacle of epic proportions that was sure to bring tears—or laughter—without any restraint.
*
At that moment, Lian was rolling on the ground somewhere in the underground, groaning softly.
“Ugh…”
As he rubbed his aching back and looked up, small bits of rubble and dust fell away. He raised a hand to brush off his hair while muttering curses he couldn’t quite spit out.
‘That useless cat maid… You said you came to help, so why are you tearing the floor apart?!’
With the Outsider’s interference gone, it was the perfect chance to escape the Demon King’s Castle, and Lian dashed madly toward freedom. Just as he was about to slip out of the main hall, the floor gave way, and he plunged into a black pit with no end in sight.
It was absurd enough to fall so close to escape, but an effect that glittered in pink obscured his view, as if to underscore that this was no accident. Such flashy attacks could only be wielded by the Goddess of Gag World.
Imagining the audacious Goddess cheerfully shouting “Eheh, my bad!” from afar made his head throb, but he quickly brushed it aside.
In the Gag World, the more one vocally rejected something or spat out curses, the more entangled they became; thus, for survival’s sake, he decided it was best to let go of any thoughts about the Goddess.
“Jess, are you okay?!”
As he shook off his fury, his view cleared and he slowly spotted Jess struggling to get up. He rushed over to her—
Pavavavat!
Jess shook herself off like a wet dog, flinging away bits of rubble and dust.
“Ah… You’re alright? Thank goodness…”
Lian, also covered in rubble, let out a sigh of relief and gave a soft smile. Realizing too late that the pieces she shook off had landed all over Lian, Jess’s face fell, her ears drooping as she approached him with a teary-eyed expression.
“I’m fine—… Ack!”
As Jess charged at him like a wild buffalo, Lian, who had just managed to get back on his feet, tumbled back to the ground. Jess climbed on top of him, her mopey face determined to pick off the debris stuck to him.
“Wiiiing…”
With sounds resembling a puppy whimpering, Lian’s expression naturally softened. Raising a hand, he lovingly patted her head, watching her gloomy expression brighten back to its original perkiness.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. But first, let’s figure out where we are.”
At his words, Jess quickly nodded her head and hopped off him. As Lian wobbled to his feet and surveyed their surroundings—
“Is this… Unknown Place?”
Even in his spirit form, wandering around the Demon King’s Castle musing about secret passages, this was a place he had never seen before.
A corridor of nondescript light brown bricks stretched endlessly in both directions. While there were levers fixed to the walls, they remained inactive; other than the light spilling down from above, everything else was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to discern how long the path continued.
“We could go back up—… but we’ve fallen too deep.”
Without being able to see above, it appeared he’d dropped at least 60 meters down through the broken hole. He could try to climb back up, but it was likely to take a long time.
“Jess, do you happen to know where this is—..?”
Just as he began to inquire if Jess had any info about this place, he suddenly felt a presence in the darkness.
As he trailed off, he turned his head toward the sense of presence that Jess had perked her ears and tail to spy, her stance sharp and alert.
Thud, thud.
Someone was approaching intentionally, and the sound felt strangely familiar.
‘Huh? Could it be…?’
Stepping out from the shadows was the Demon King, her striking red eyes and silken black hair captivating in the dim light.
“Grrowl…!”
Jess instinctively sensed the overwhelming power of the opponent, her pupils widening as she bared her fangs. She crouched low, muscles tensing as if she were ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.
The Demon King briefly glanced at Jess before turning her gaze toward Lian. Their eyes met, and Lian unconsciously opened his mouth.
“Uh, ummm… Long time no see—… I mean, nice to meet you.”
In an instant, he forgot he was in a new body and, amid friendly words, suddenly snapped back to reality, biting his tongue and quickly correcting himself.
The Demon King’s expression, watching him, twisted with a mixture of emotions. Just as an undefined feeling rushed through her, painting an awkward smile on her face, she began to introduce herself.
Dash!
Before anyone could process it, the Demon King lunged at Lian, closing the gap at a speed almost impossible to follow. Just as the presence was inches from him, Lian’s body stiffened.
In a heartbeat, their gazes tangled in the near distance.
‘Huh? Did she figure me out?’
Seeing the eager affection shining in her slightly misty eyes, Lian realized his identity was uncovered.
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